Western Australia appears set to meet offshore wind energy generation estimates outlined in a market study launched by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and Arup.
This follows the recent announcement by the Australian Federal Government opening public consultation for the Indian Ocean area for offshore wind off the coast of Bunbury.
The Australian Offshore Wind Market Study, conducted by Arup, evaluates potential Australian offshore wind markets and analyses the strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for UK support.
Key findings indicate that the Australian offshore wind market could substantially benefit from collaboration with UK suppliers, given the UK’s 23 years of experience and its status as the second-largest offshore wind market globally, boasting 13.9GW of installed capacity as of 2023.
Despite Australia’s current lack of offshore wind capacity, the country has over 40 offshore wind projects proposed for development. Notably, the study initially projected two to three projects with an average size of 1.5GW being developed in WA, but the current area of interest being explored has the potential to exceed this scale.
Arup’s Offshore Wind Leader for Australasia Damon Sunderland said with coal-based power set to be phased out in the state by 2030, the federal government’s proposed area of interest has the potential to supply the massive increase in energy generation needed to meet future requirements.
“We’re excited to see how our analysis can help further shape investment and collaboration opportunities in Australia’s growing offshore wind market.”
The report also acknowledges challenges including market distance, local content requirements, and public perception. Addressing these will be crucial to unlocking an efficient growth of offshore wind in Australia.
These can be facilitated via knowledge transfer and early industry collaboration, as well as leveraging the recent Australia-UK free-trade agreement, enabling tariff-free exports of key components such as inter-array cables, dynamic cable products, and wind turbine blades.
The FCDO commissioned Arup for this report to aid the successful development of offshore wind in Australia and explore further collaborative opportunities with UK businesses and suppliers. Arup, a global collective of designers, consultants and experts dedicated to sustainable development, collaborated with local and international industry for additional insights.
